A wishlist improvement to QF booking process - infant meals

[AisleSeat]

My most recent booking and subsequent phone call follow up with QF highlighted an issue to me that could be solved with a change to the UI of the booking form.

In the booking we added my son (who's an infant). QF subsequently assigned him an infant meal. However, he's 1 and eats proper food, not puree anymore.

I couldn't change his meal online and had to phone up to request that he gets a child meal.

It seems if you're adding an infant (0-2), they just get assigned an infant meal, regardless if they're 5 months or 18 months.

A simple change to the booking could solve this issue. When adding an infants details, there could be 2 radio button options:

• Infant meal
• Child meal

A parent would know which meal their child would need.

I don't know what the cost difference to an airline is between the two meal types.
Given how there are only 7 bassinets on an A380 (the most bassinets on any aircraft type), I don't think it would break the bank for an airline to have to load an extra 7 child meals (at a maximum).

Thoughts?

 

[Pushka]

My most recent booking and subsequent phone call follow up with QF highlighted an issue to me that could be solved with a change to the UI of the booking form.

In the booking we added my son (who's an infant). QF subsequently assigned him an infant meal. However, he's 1 and eats proper food, not puree anymore.

I couldn't change his meal online and had to phone up to request that he gets a child meal.

It seems if you're adding an infant (0-2), they just get assigned an infant meal, regardless if they're 5 months or 18 months.

A simple change to the booking could solve this issue. When adding an infants details, there could be 2 radio button options:

• Infant meal
• Child meal

A parent would know which meal their child would need.

I don't know what the cost difference to an airline is between the two meal types.
Given how there are only 7 bassinets on an A380 (the most bassinets on any aircraft type), I don't think it would break the bank for an airline to have to load an extra 7 child meals (at a maximum).

Thoughts?

Given I’ve known airlines to run out of adult meal preferences even in Business I’m not expecting you to have great success here.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

I don't know what the cost difference to an airline is between the two meal types.
Given how there are only 7 bassinets on an A380 (the most bassinets on any aircraft type), I don't think it would break the bank for an airline to have to load an extra 7 child meals (at a maximum).

Thoughts?

I am absolutely not disagreeing with you but if there's a way QF doesn't have to pay for something then I guarantee seven extra child meals will not be loaded on a flight.

 

[kermatu]

I couldn't change his meal online and had to phone up to request that he gets a child meal.

Were you successful in getting this done? If so, the airline is clearly able to do it so it seems a sensible idea to allow the pax to choose this type of meal on the website. No different to ordering a gluten free or vegetarian meal.

But there are many things that could make a booking process (on any airline) better for some or a lot of passengers. Airline needs to weigh up what's worthwhile.

Loading a spare 7 kids meals just in case just won't happen. Too much wastage.

 

[AisleSeat]

Were you successful in getting this done? If so, the airline is clearly able to do it so it seems a sensible idea to allow the pax to choose this type of meal on the website. No different to ordering a gluten free or vegetarian meal.

But there are many things that could make a booking process (on any airline) better for some or a lot of passengers. Airline needs to weigh up what's worthwhile.

Loading a spare 7 kids meals just in case just won't happen. Too much wastage.

Yes, when I phoned I just requested it and explained why. They changed it without question. It now appears as Child meal (2-11) next to his name